Along-the-Path Tool can create extremely interesting shapes with a few clicks by copying a shape or a number of them along the central curve or the envelope of another shape.

To create an along-the-path object, follow these steps:

1. (Optional) Select shapes you would like to copy.
2. Switch to the Along-the-Path Tool. If you did not select any shapes in Step 1, click the uppermost "Pick" button, located across the label "Shapes". Move the cursor to the drawing window and select a shape which you would like to copy.
3. Click on the second from the top "Pick" button, located across the "Path" label. Move the cursor to the drawing window and select a shape which you would like other shapes to be copied along.
4. Adjust options as necessary (see below). To finish create the shape, either click "Create" button at the bottom of the window, or switch to a different tool.

Shapes: Shapes which will be copied (source shapes).

Path: A shape which will serve as a path to copy other shapes along (target path shape).

Space Along: Determines what parts of the target path shape are used to copy source shapes along. Can be one of the following:

Top Envelope - copy shapes only along the top envelope of the target path shape.
Bottom Envelope - copy shapes only along the bottom envelope of the target path shape.
Top and Bottom Envelopes - copy shapes along both the top and the bottom envelopes of the target path shape.
Main Strand - copy shapes along the central curve of the target path shapes, ignoring the envelope.

Outer Side: Copy shapes along the outer side of the curve if checked.

Inner Side: Copy shapes along the inner side of the curve if checked.

Space By: Determines the number of shape copies is set.

Number of Copies - creates the specified number of copies of the source shapes, and spaces them equally along the given path.
Distance - spaces the shapes within the specified distance of each other, creating as many shapes as is necessary.

Follow the Path: If checked, the shapes will be oriented to make it look like the follow the path at every given point.

Vertical Offset: Determines how far the shape copies are offset away from the target path (in the direction perpendicular to it at every point).

Initial Rotation: Optionally allows to specify a single rotation for all shapes which is applied to each copy before it is made.

Start Offset, %: An optional offset from the start of the target path, in percentage points in terms of the path length. The section of the path from the start point to this point will not have any shapes copied along it.

End Offset, %: An optional offset from the end of the target path, in percentage points in terms of the path length. The section of the path from the end point to this point will not have any shapes copied along it.

Incremental transformations are applied to each copy of a source shape, but they accumualte with each copy made. For example, if incremental rotation of 5 degrees is specified, the first copy of the shape will be rotated by 5 degrees. The second by 10 degrees. The third by 15 degrees, and so on.

Rotate: Incremental rotation to be applied to each copy relative to the previous copy.

Vertical Offset: Incremental vertical offset to be applied to each copy relative to the previous copy.

Scale X: Incremental scaling along the x-axis to be applied to each copy relative to the previous copy. Note that 1.0 corresponds to the original object scaling.

Scale Y: Incremental scaling along the y-axis to be applied to each copy relative to the previous copy. Note that 1.0 corresponds to the original object scaling.

Proportional scaling: If checked, both X and Y scaling are set to the same factor, so the shape's proportions are kept the same. If unchecked, they can be distored and adjusted independently.

Break apart on creation: If checked, the entire along-the-path shape will be broken up into individual organic shapes. None of the properties described on this page will be able to be adjusted any more. If unchecked, the shape is created as a special along-the-path object, and all of these options can still be adjusted afterwards. Note that the shape can be broken apart at any time.

Vertical Offset:	Determines how far the shape copies are offset away from the target path (in the direction perpendicular to it at every point).
Initial Rotation:	Optionally allows to specify a single rotation for all shapes which is applied to each copy before it is made.
Start Offset, %:	An optional offset from the start of the target path, in percentage points in terms of the path length. The section of the path from the start point to this point will not have any shapes copied along it.
End Offset, %:	An optional offset from the end of the target path, in percentage points in terms of the path length. The section of the path from the end point to this point will not have any shapes copied along it.

Rotate:	Incremental rotation to be applied to each copy relative to the previous copy.
Vertical Offset:	Incremental vertical offset to be applied to each copy relative to the previous copy.
Scale X:	Incremental scaling along the x-axis to be applied to each copy relative to the previous copy. Note that 1.0 corresponds to the original object scaling.
Scale Y:	Incremental scaling along the y-axis to be applied to each copy relative to the previous copy. Note that 1.0 corresponds to the original object scaling.
Proportional scaling:	If checked, both X and Y scaling are set to the same factor, so the shape's proportions are kept the same. If unchecked, they can be distored and adjusted independently.
Break apart on creation:	If checked, the entire along-the-path shape will be broken up into individual organic shapes. None of the properties described on this page will be able to be adjusted any more. If unchecked, the shape is created as a special along-the-path object, and all of these options can still be adjusted afterwards. Note that the shape can be broken apart at any time.